Saxendar

What is the most important information I should know about Saxenda^®?

Serious side effects may happen in people who take Saxenda^®, including:

Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your health care professional if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rats and mice, Saxenda^® and medicines that work like Saxenda^® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Saxenda^® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.

Do not use Saxenda^® if you or any of your family have ever had MTC, or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

Who should not use Saxenda^®?

Do not use Saxenda^® if:

• you or any of your family have ever had MTC or if you have MEN 2
• you have had a serious allergic reaction to liraglutide or any of the ingredients in Saxenda^®. See symptoms of serious allergic reactions in “What are the possible side effects of Saxenda^®?”
• you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Saxenda^® may harm your unborn baby

Before taking Saxenda^®, tell your health care provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• are taking certain medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists
• have severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food
• have or have had problems with your pancreas, kidneys or liver
• have or have had depression or suicidal thoughts, or mental health issues
• are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Saxenda^® passes into your breast milk. You and your health care provider should decide if you will use Saxenda^® or breastfeed

Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Saxenda^® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly. Saxenda^® may affect the way some medicines work and some other medicines may affect the way Saxenda^® works. Tell your health care provider if you take diabetes medicines, especially insulin and sulfonylurea medicines.